Feral Jundi

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Bounties: Mexico Offers Rewards For 33 Drug Gang Suspects

Filed under: Bounties,History,Letter Of Marque,Mexico — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:36 PM

    In Chihuahua City (1849) Michael H. Chevallié and Glanton may have influenced the state legislature to pass the Fifth Law over the veto of the governor, empowering Chevallié to contract with guerrillas to capture or kill troublesome Indians on an individual basis. Chevallié entered the first contract the next day, and Glanton was in his company on several successful expeditions north of the capital.- From Handbook of Texas Online on John Joel Glanton

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   Wow, this is quite a list below.  You know, in my research on John Coffee Hays I also stumbled upon an infamous group called the Glanton Gang. These guys were contracted to hunt down Indians for a bounty in Mexico, and they used scalps as a proof of death.  The problem with this gang is that they ran out of Apache or Comanche warriors to kill, and they started going after innocents. In other words, the industry of killing the enemy was extremely effective.  But as soon as hunters violated the contract and tried to cheat the system, that is when the state put down the hammer.

   Mexico decided to put a bounty out on the Glanton Gang after they found out about their scheme, and that effectively ended the gang’s work in Mexico. From bounty hunter to fugitive, all due to a violation of the contract. If the Mexicans would have demanded a bond from these bounty hunters, I think that would have further kept hunters like this in check. Either way, the line of criminal behavior was crossed, and the gang instantly turned into criminals because of their actions.

   It should also be noted that John Glanton fought as a civilian scout for the US Army under John Ford, and was a Texas Ranger with Hays.  But it seemed that everywhere John went, he pissed off folks by killing the wrong guys or not playing well with others. lol So I would classify him as a guy who lacked discipline and was an extreme liability to anyone that used him. The book Blood Meridian is supposed to be based on the Glanton Gang as well.

   To get back to my point.  Mexico has a history of bounty hunting, and they have contracted outsiders before.  And seeing how the city of Juarez is now the most dangerous city in the world, maybe some consideration should be given to creating an industry that could clean it up.  They could issue Letters of Marque and Reprisals, or initiate the Fifth Law (what ever that entailed), and fire up the industry necessary to clean up these cartels. –Matt

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John Joel Glanton

John Joel Glanton.

Mexico offers rewards for 33 drug gang suspects

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO

May 29, 2010

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s government unveiled a list of 33 wanted drug suspects Friday, including three men allegedly tied to a cartel responsible for much of the bloodshed in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez.

The Attorney General’s Office did not specify the criminal bands affiliated with each suspect.

However, a security official in the northern state of Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, said the three at the top of the list belong to La Linea, a gang tied to the Juarez cartel. Rewards of $1.1 million (15 million pesos) were offered for each.

One of the three, Juan Pablo Ledezma, is believed to be the head of La Linea, said the official, who is with the joint army and police operation in charge of security in Chihuahua. He agreed to discuss the list only on condition of not being quoted by name, because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

A turf battle between the Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels has turned Ciudad Juarez into one of the world’s deadliest cities. More than 4,300 people have been killed over the past three years in the city, which lies across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Five men were killed in a Ciudad Juarez shooting Friday, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state prosecutors’ office.

The five were riding in a car when gunmen drove up beside them and opened fire, Sandoval said. Two of the five were killed inside the car. The others tried to flee into a restaurant but were gunned down in front of panicked customers.

The Attorney General’s Office offered rewards of $387,000 (5 million pesos) each for five other suspects on the list. The other 25 had $232,000 (3 million peso) bounties on their heads.

(more…)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Military News: 1,200 National Guard Troops To Be Deployed To Arizona Border

Filed under: Arizona,Law Enforcement,Mexico,Military News — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 12:04 PM

   Wow, this is great news.  Arizona has been pushing hard for National Guard troops and the White House has finally agreed to allow it.  It’s about time is all I have to say.

     I am not sure what will be purchased with the 500 million dollars, and I am sure that money will mostly go to this NG deployment.  Although we might see an emphasis again on building a substantial wall or fence on the border.  If that is the case, I am sure a contractor or two will be tasked with building that thing. If they do start building the fence, I am sure they will also build a couple of camps out in the remote areas so they can support that effort. –Matt

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1,200 National Guard troops to be deployed to border

5/25/2010

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Tuesday announced the White House has agreed to her requests to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico.Giffords called for the Guard’s deployment immediately after the March 27, 2010, murder of Cochise County rancher Rob Krentz.

Giffords also says in a statement Tuesday that President Barack Obama will request $500 million in funding for border security.

In 2006, President George W. Bush sent thousands of troops to the border to perform support duties that tie up immigration agents. The troops wouldn’t perform significant law enforcement duties.

That program has since ended, and politicians in border states have called for troops to be sent there to curb human and drug smuggling and prevent Mexico’s drug violence from spilling over into the United States.

Story here.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Mexico: The Bajadores–Those That Prey On Smuggling Operations

Filed under: Crime,Law Enforcement,Mexico — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:03 PM

   There is a great thread going on over at Tactical Forums that was the motivation for this post.  It is all about the ‘bajadores’ or rip-off crews along the border areas who basically prey on smugglers.  To me, this is land based piracy or basically stealing from other criminals and illegal immigrants, and these individuals are an interesting group.

   Now what is concerning with this is the advent of bajadores dressing up like Border Patrol or law enforcement and doing their deed.  Then you get a situation where smugglers arm themselves to protect against these types of forces, and they then view everyone as a threat.  Hence why the border is so dangerous for anyone to operate.

    The other issue I was thinking about is that we always think of these gangs floating around on the border as being hispanic.  But as this report indicates, law enforcement is aware that bajadores may also be ‘non-hispanic individuals’. My guess is that it is a small number, but as the border issue heats up and more acts of violence increase, we might actually see more citizens take the law into their own hands to combat this scourge. Good or bad, that is what happens when a government fails to do the job of protecting it’s citizenry or securing it’s borders.

   Let’s end this post with a different thought about this.  Imagine if what the bajadores was doing, was actually legal? Law enforcement seize the assets of criminals all the time during raids and arrests, and use that money to fund all sorts of toys and programs in their departments.  Citizens could also participate in this activity, and they could either work off seizing assets, a bounty system, or both. A prize court could be established in that particular state, citizens and companies could become licensed and bonded to do such an activity, and states or the feds could manage the program. In other words, I like the idea of capturing criminals and taking everything they own.  I also like getting a bounty for capturing them. Both of these acts would be called privateering and bounty hunting. –Matt

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Gangs are menacing ‘coyotes,’ immigrants Assaults, kidnapping are rampant

Daniel Gonzlez

Aug. 17, 2003Violent gangs have operated for years along the border, where they rob and kidnap immigrants and “coyotes” alike, usually at gunpoint.But authorities say the booming immigrant-smuggling trade has brought them northward and invaded the Phoenix area, bringing with them tactics common in drug trafficking – assaults, kidnapping and extortion – but previously uncommon in the smuggling business.

In Mexico, they are known as bajadores . In the United States, officials have dubbed those who prey on immigrant-smuggling operations “rip-off crews.”

The bajadores have been attracted by the lucrative smuggling trade, which has escalated in the Valley in recent years and grown even more profitable as the United States, by deploying more Border Patrol agents from California to Texas, has made it more difficult to cross into the country illegally, authorities say.

The enforcement buildup has turned the remote and deadly Arizona desert, where at least 127 immigrants have died this year, into the main gateway for illegal immigration into the United States.

The buildup also has made Phoenix the primary hub for transporting immigrants to other parts of the country.The bajadores prey on the smugglers by stealing the immigrants and then threatening to beat them up or kill them unless their families pay a ransom. The ransom isn’t cheap, and the bajadores often make good their threats. They typically demand $1,000 to $1,500, the price smugglers charge to transport undocumented immigrants from the border to Phoenix.  (more…)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Mexico: Police Forces Are Resigning In Small Towns Due To Cartel Violence And Threats

Filed under: Law Enforcement,Letter Of Marque,Mexico — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 3:40 AM

   Boy, the war on Mexico’s authorities is only getting worse.  I expect that as more police forces resign, you will see more private security increase.  Worse yet, you will see more businesses being forced to kiss the ring of the cartels, because there is no one to protect them.

   Another idea is that Mexico is not a signatory of the Declaration of Paris.  Although they did remove the Amendment in their constitution that allowed their congress to issue Letters of Marque and Reprisal(I think in the 1960’s).  Regardless, a sovereign nation should be able to do anything they can to defend themselves against all threats, both foreign and domestic.  Mexico could use the LoM to enlist the help of private industry in their war.  The cartels are pretty rich, and they are the kind of big fish that could make the business of killing or capturing these thugs pretty profitable for a privateering company.  Mexico would also have to attach a bounty to those they would want killed or captured.

   Personally, I think there should be more value to a living cartel member, as opposed to a dead one.  The reason for that is then Mexico could identify more cartel members that are threats, and thus increase the bounty roster. They can also get more money out of a living guy, because you can get more information out of them(secret bank accounts, hidden cash, etc.).

   Also, with this kind of industry, companies would want to interrogate their captures so they can build their own files.  That information is gold to a company that is in the business of ‘finding’ people and things, and that intel should be part of the prize when going after these thugs. –Matt

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Mexican Town’s Police Force Quits After Ambush

May 18, 2010

Most of a small Mexican town’s police force has quit after armed men ambushed and wounded two of their officers.

The resignation of six of the 11 municipal officers in La Union Monday evening comes after several other Mexican towns have seen mass police resignations because of cartel violence or threats.

State police in Guerrero, which La Union is located, said Tuesday that it has deployed 20 of its officers to patrol La Union until further notice.

The resignations came two days after their colleagues were ambushed and left La Union’s police force with five members: the chief, the deputy chief, an officer in charge of weapons logistics and the two wounded officers who are hospitalized.

Meanwhile, people in some Mexican towns have begun taking the law into their own hands.

In Mexico State, on the outskirts of Mexico City, authorities said Tuesday that residents of a town beat a man death on suspicion of robbing a young couple of 200 pesos (about $16) and a cell phone Monday.

The suspect and an accomplice allegedly held up the couple with a knife and what later was found to be a toy gun.

About 300 people pursued the two men, caught one and beat him so badly with sticks and fists that he died in an ambulance, officials said.

Also Tuesday, the federal police announced the capture of an alleged member of the La Linea gang in the border city of Ciudad Juarez who allegedly participated in the killing of 10 people.

Juan Padilla Juarez, 28, allegedly targeted rivals of the La Linea gang, which is allied with the Juarez drug cartel. He was captured Monday in Ciudad Juarez.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that a judge handed down a prison sentence of almost 22 years against Jaime Gonzalez Duran, also known as ”The Hummer,” for money laundering and weapons possession. He had previously been sentenced to 16 1/2 years on similar charges by another court. The sentences will not be served concurrently.

Gonzalez Duran is an army deserter who was arrested in the northern border city of Reynosa. He is allegedly one of the founding members of the Zetas, a band of cartel hit men believed responsible for massacres and beheadings.

Story here.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Kidnap And Ransom: Pemex Executive Kidnapping Rattles Mexico Oil Industry

Filed under: Kidnap And Ransom,Mexico — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 3:58 AM

   Between the kidnappings and the pilfering of the oil by cartels, Pemex has some issues.  Just one suggestion for Pemex, and that is if you want to retain some of that oil and stop paying ransoms, then make the investment in a competent security company to protect your stuff and people.  You can buy some pretty kick ass security for well under the 750 million dollars that you are losing every year (on top of what ever you are paying for in ransoms). –Matt

Edit: 5/20/2010 – Check out this story about former Mexican presidential candidate that was kidnapped recently.

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Pemex exec kidnapping rattles Mexico oil industry

May 11 2010

By Robert Campbell

Driving home along rough, poorly lit roads to the southern Mexican city of Villahermosa, an oil executive and his driver stopped at a roadside eatery for dinner when they were cornered by armed men.

The gunmen seized Nestor Martinez, who manages a production unit for energy monopoly Pemex in the oil-rich state of Tabasco, and sent his driver on to deliver the news he had been kidnapped, industry sources say.

Martinez was released a few days after his abduction last month but a spate of kidnappings of Pemex executives has shaken the oil industry in a country where drug cartels and organized crime gangs are increasingly spooking foreign investors.

“Everyone has heard about it but there has been no official statement. It’s really frightening,” said a Pemex employee in Villahermosa, who declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak with reporters.

A Pemex spokesman declined to comment on the case, and the industry sources could not confirm local media reports that a large ransom was paid to free Martinez, also president of the national petroleum engineers’ association.

Mexico is in the grip of a brutal drugs war that has killed some 23,000 people, mainly traffickers and police, since President Felipe Calderon took power in late 2006. The army crackdown launched by Calderon has fanned turf wars between rival gangs and battles against security forces.

(more…)

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